Shane Carwin is coming back to mixed martial arts.
After expressing interest in a return a few months ago, the former interim UFC heavyweight champion officially confirmed plans to return to the cage in the foreseeable future in a Wednesday post on The Underground forum.
But his return won’t take place inside the UFC’s Octagon.
According to Carwin, his management team reached out to UFC matchmaker Joe Silva and the company’s legal team and, after back-and-forth communication, they agreed to terminate his contract with the promotion.
“We decided mutually that my value and what I bring to the Heavyweight Division will be better utilized elsewhere,” he wrote. “I am now a free agent. I look forward to freely speaking with the other MMA promotions. The Heavyweight division has a lot of great fights and not all of them are in the UFC.”
Carwin (12-2) won the interim title with a first-round knockout of Frank Mir at UFC 111 in 2010. The 41-year-old then fought Brock Lesnar for the undisputed strap, but dropped a second-round submission loss after a dominant first round. He hasn’t fought since a unanimous decision loss to Junior dos Santos at UFC 131 five years ago.
Carwin, who suffered several injuries near the end of his career, stepped away from the sport in May 2013. A back injury forced him out of a fight opposite Roy Nelson following a coaching stint on The Ultimate Fighter 16.
“I am excited about what the future holds,” he wrote. “I want to prove to myself and my fans that I belong at the top of the division. Today that journey begins.”